


Client/Attorney Privilege

by szm



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Deal with a Devil, Friendship/Love, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-18 23:18:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10627230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/szm/pseuds/szm
Summary: Stick has to hire Foggy Nelson. Neither one of them likes the idea very much





	1. Chapter 1

When Foggy entered his office at HC&B one sunny Wednesday morning the last thing he expected to find was an old blind guy sat in behind his desk, in Foggy’s chair. 

“You don’t have an appointment,” said Foggy without any preamble. “And if you are who I think you are. You’re never going to get one.”

The old man smirked. “Who do you think I am?” he asked. Foggy had the uncomfortable feeling he was being laughed at. He ignored it, and turned away from the old man in his chair to hang his coat and bag on the stand near the door.

“Twig… Branch? Something like that,” he said flippantly.

“Matty told you about me, then?” said Stick. “Good, that makes this easier. I need to hire you. And you really shouldn’t turn your back on me.”

Foggy turned his back to Stick. He was scared, but it was fighting with anger. He knew enough about Stick to know he was dangerous, and that he’d done a lot of damage to Matt over the years. Even if he and Matt weren’t in the best place _right now_ he still kind of hated the old man who’d told a 10 year old Matt that being _human_ was a bad thing. “You could kill me just as easily face to face,” said Foggy with a shrug. “Not a lot I could do to stop you. But I am not your lawyer. If you have money I suggest you go down the corridor and talk to one of my colleagues. If you don’t have money then you are in the wrong building.”

Stick leant back in the chair. “You’re going to make me leave? Call security?” 

Foggy felt his teeth grind. “You can sit there all day. Disrupt all my meetings and really, really, piss me off. You could even beat the crap outta me. But I will never work for you.”

“I can see why Matty likes you, you’re just as stupid as he is. Here’s your choice. You take this job, or Matty dies,” Foggy opened his mouth to retort but Stick beat him to it. “I’m not threatening him. Matt got himself into a situation. One I can’t fight him out of. Someone has to argue for him. He asked for you. I don’t think you’ll be able to do shit. But Matty, well, he has faith.” Stick spat out the last word like it was ridiculous. 

“He’s been arrested?” asked Foggy, knowing that wasn’t it. If Matt had been arrested he would have used his phone call and just called Foggy. No need to send the crypt keeper with a message. 

“No. Think of it more as a… kidnapping. But I have to hire you. It’s part of the magic,” explained Stick. He didn’t even try to make it believable.

“Magic,” repeated Foggy. “Sure, why not? Billable hours start now. And I want you to know all the money you give me is going to puppies and/or orphans. Maybe orphaned puppies. So Matt got himself kidnapped by a what? A witch?”

“A demon king of hell,” said Stick, suddenly he was completely serious. Foggy almost wished for the mocking and scorn to be back. 

“So what do I to have to do?” asked Foggy. He grabbed a pad of paper and a pen off his desk and settled into the chair on the other side of the desk.

“You’re agreeing?” asked Stick. It wasn’t exactly surprise in his tone but it was something like that.

Foggy shrugged. “Matt calls, I do stupid things. Apparently even when I’m still mad at him. It’s what family does. You probably don’t get it.”

“I get it, doesn’t make you any less stupid,” said Stick. “You have to convince Paimon that Matt is worthy of his freedom.”

“Okay, Paimon,” said Foggy scribbling away. “King of hell, _not_ an off-brand pokemon, who knew?” He stopped and waited for Stick to continue. The silence stretched on. “And…” prompted Foggy.”

“And nothing,” said Stick. “That’s all we know.”

“That’s it?” asked Foggy incredulously. 

Stick didn’t answer just stared sightlessly at Foggy. If he thought than was intimidating he could think again. Foggy had not been best friends with Matthew ‘oh I’m sorry does my being blind bother you’ Murdock for the better part of a decade for nothing.

“Define ‘worthy’, define ‘freedom’. How did Matt get ‘kidnapped’ in the first place? What happens if I don’t prove ‘worthiness’?” asked Foggy, throwing his hand into the air. “Who do I need to ask about this? A priest?”

“A priest wouldn’t know about this,” scoffed Stick. “The only reference we can find is half an ancient, partially burnt, book in a dead language that it possible no-one on earth could ever even speak, that pre-dates the bible by a couple hundred years.” 

“And the ‘kidnapping’?” asked Foggy. 

“Matt tried to argue for someone else. He took their place rather than lose,” said Stick.

Foggy sighed, that was possibly the most _Matt_ thing that could have happened. “And self-sacrifice is not ‘worthy’ enough?”

Stick shrugged. “Paimon argued that it was an act of pride. He talks big about seeing the ‘truth of mortals hearts’.”

“Of course he does,” sighed Foggy. “Right, I know a guy I can talk too. When and where does this need to happen?”

Stick gave him an address and told him he had three days. Foggy watched Stick leave then waited for the count of a hundred before reclaiming his chair. He picked up his phone and called Jerri’s new PA. 

“Hey, Wendy? It’s Foggy… Nelson. Yeah… Look I need the contact details for Danny Rand. Yes, and I really need for you to not tell Ms Hogarth about this… Coffee from the place you like? Every morning this week?” Foggy laughed at Wendy’s response. “Okay, this month. Deal, Wendy.” He scribbled down the number Wendy gave him. 

Foggy had always known working for a bigger firm would give better resources. He just hadn’t really expected The Immortal Iron Fist to be one of them.


	2. Chapter 2

The address Stick had given him turned out to be an apartment in Hell’s Kitchen not that far from Matt’s place. It was empty apart from a wooden chair, a table, and a small ornate sliver looking bell. These three objects were inside a large chalk circle. Stick was the only person there when Foggy arrived, he frowned at Foggy. 

“So you turned up then?” he said.

Foggy didn’t answer, he let the prickle of intense dislike he felt for Stick harden his voice. “So I have to enter the circle and ring the bell, right? To summon Paimon?”

“Have to take payment first,” said Stick. He held out a wad of bills towards Foggy. “Do you Foggy Nelson agree to speak for Matthew Murdock of your own free will?”

Foggy took the money and stuffed it into his back pocket without counting it. “I do,” he said. 

“You managed to find out anything from your ‘guy’?” asked Stick grumpily.

“Well he studied at Kung-Lun,” snapped Foggy. “So yeah he was useful.” He didn’t add the ‘unlike you’ that he desperately wanted to.

“Kung-Lun, huh?” said Stick, tilting his head to the side in a move that reminded Foggy so much of Matt that it physically hurt for a second. “I’d heard the Iron Fist had finally decided to get his hands dirty with the rest of us. Guess I should work on being _grateful_ or something.”

**

_Danny Rand was possibly the youngest twenty-five year old Foggy had ever met. Big smiles and sincere handshakes. He referred to Jeri Hogarth like she was some kind of kindly Aunt, and just assumed Foggy wasn’t there to cause trouble. Foggy absolutely wasn’t there to cause trouble, but he felt a little uneasy that Danny didn’t seem to even think that was an option. Like he was taking advantage or something._

_“Why do you want to know about demons, Mr Nelson?” asked Rand not even suspiciously, like this was just a normal kind of conversation._

_“It’s Foggy,” said Foggy with a smile. “And it’s… academic interest. It found a reference to a demon called… erm… Paimon? I wondered if that was a real thing. Jeri said you knew a bit about this kind of stuff.”_

_Rand beamed at him. “Sure! There was books for days about this kind of thing in Kung-Lun.” He frowned a little. “Paimon is pretty dangerous though. You should probably steer clear.”_

_“Well, **I** certainly don’t want to go around raising demons,” laughed Foggy, reassuring himself that he was speaking the absolute truth. “There was a reference to him ‘kidnapping’ people. I guess I got a little freaked out. Stranger things have happened… right?”_

_“Sure,” said Danny easily. “Paimon is not a kidnapper though, humans can call on him to grant power, strength, that kind of thing. Rarely ends well though. He’s clever, and dangerous.”_

_Once Danny started talking he answered all Foggy’s questions. It was… refreshing and unnerving at the same time, to be just given all this information without having to dig through obstructions and lies to get at it._

_“Well, thank you,” said Foggy finally. “It was great talking to you Mr Rand, you’ve been helpful.” Foggy found he meant it. He liked Danny._

_“It’s **Danny** , Foggy,” said Danny with a chuckle. “My pleasure, it’s nice to able to talk about these things without people looking at me like a crazy person. Anytime you feel like doing it again my door is open.”_

_Danny shook Foggy’s hand, and just for a moment Foggy thought he looked lonely. “Sure,” Foggy said with a smile._

_“Give my love to J-money,” said Danny and Foggy tried not to choke at imagining Jeri Hogarth’s reaction to Foggy even thinking that nickname in her presence. “And Foggy, be careful. If you need anything, call me.”_

**

Foggy and Stick entered the circle. Foggy stood in front of the chair and picked up the bell. He shook it, he could feel the vibration in it as the clapper hit the metal side but he couldn’t hear it ring. Stick winced and shook his head. Foggy guessed that Stick could hear it. He knew what was going to happen but it still took him by surprise when the room outside the circle faded away into blackness and silence and Matt faded into the chair in front of him. Full Daredevil getup. Arm’s tied behind the back of the chair.

“Matt!” said Foggy unable to stop himself. He knelt by the chair and rested a hand on Matt’s shoulder. Warm, alive, and solid. It went a long way to calming Foggy’s nerves.

“Who the hell were you expecting?” muttered Stick under his breath. 

“Foggy?” said Matt. “You shouldn’t be here, please, go.”

“Too late,” said Stick. “He took payment.”

The colour in Matt’s face drained away. “Foggy,” he said despairingly.

“Relax Matty,” said Foggy with more confidence than he honestly felt. “I got this.”

“Do you really, Mr Nelson?” said a disembodied voice that came from all around them. 

_Danny had said. ”He tries to dazzle people, confuse and impress them. The trick is to make him laugh, not make him angry.”_

“Good sound system, the stereo is excellent, Dolby?” asked Foggy, standing but leaving his hand on Matt’s shoulder.

There was a deep chuckle all around them which resolved into one spot in front of Foggy. One second there was nothing there, then suddenly there was a man, and that man had always been there. It made Foggy’s eyes water. The man was tall and thin, wearing a dark suit and a top hat, but his eyes were… wrong. The pupil was oval, like and cat or a lizard, and the irises almost glowed, orange-red like a banked fire. He looked at the hand on Matt’s shoulder and smirked. Foggy fought hard not to snatch his hand back, he lowered it slowly. The man’s smile widened.

“I am Paimon, King of Hell. To whom do I have the honour of speaking?” asked the man.

_”As a general rule never tell a demon your name. Chances are they will already know it, but don’t say it out loud.”_

“You already know who I am,” said Foggy. “I am pleased to meet you.” Danny hadn’t said anything about manners, but Foggy guessed keeping the all-powerful demon King happy was probably a good idea.

Paimon’s eyes seemed to shine brighter for a second. “Oh yes, you seem like _fun_.” He waved a hand and Matt and Stick disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

“Where did they go?” asked Foggy feeling his heart race but managing to keep his voice steady.

“Back to your world,” said Paimon sounding bored. “If you win you’ll join them soon. If you lose I get to keep Matthew. If you lose _badly_ I get to keep you both. The old man is safe though.” Paimon sounded mildly disappointed. “Now tell me… the hat… too much?”

_”Don’t lie,” said Danny in Foggy’s memory. “Paimon can tell, even if you’re lying to yourself.”_

“It’s dramatic,” said Foggy carefully.

Paimon sighed and tossed the hat into the blackness beyond the circle. As soon as it passed the line it just… disintegrated… like it was never there. Paimon’s hair was thick and dark, but it looked slick, like it would be unpleasant to touch. Everything about Paimon looked unwelcoming in an ill-defined way. Sharp features and a sharper suit, law school had taught Foggy how to spot a shark. “I used to turn up on a camel, back in the old days,” said Paimon wistfully. “But that just doesn’t impress the masses the way it used to. So Mr Nelson. Why are you here?”

“I want you to free Matt,” said Foggy putting as much certainty into his voice as he could.

“Why should I?” asked Paimon in a lazy drawl. “He gave himself freely to save another. Surely you don’t want to undermine such a… _noble_ choice?”

Foggy couldn’t hold in the snort at that. “Matt tends to make terrible choices, especially when he really doesn’t want to lose.”

“I believe you also hate to lose, Mr Nelson?” Paimon’s smile widened and Foggy caught a flash of yellowed teeth that were too sharp to be human. 

Foggy clamped his mouth shut. His first instinct was to deny that flaw in himself. But…

_”He knows when you’re lying, even if it’s to yourself,”_

…Danny had been very emphatic on that point. So Foggy made himself take a deep breath before he answered. “I’d wouldn’t be a very good lawyer if I did. But sometimes it’s not worth the cost.”

Paimon threw his head back and laughed at that. “Oh, I do _like_ you. So answer my first question,” he took a step closer, into Foggy’s personal space. “Why should I let Matthew go?”

“The terms of my employment state that I have to prove Matt is worthy of his freedom. Is that not the case?” asked Foggy. He fought the instinct to take a step back. Paimon was much taller than him, and made Foggy feel uneasy. He smelt, not unpleasantly, of dust, old paper, and a cloying unknown spice that caught in the back of Foggy’s throat. 

Paimon chuckled and stepped back. An ornate throne-like chair appeared behind him and he sat down. Foggy felt like he’d passed a test. He hoped that was true. “Okay, I’ll play,” said Paimon. “Prove to me that Matthew Murdock is worthy and I will let you both go.”

“What would ‘letting us go’ look like?” asked Foggy. This was, despite all the weirdness and the high stakes, a contract negotiation, he knew how to do this. Define the terms.

Paimon made a show of tapping his pointed chin with long fingers. “So few people bother to ask that kind of question. Mostly I just get warriors, charging in thinking they can just overpower me and be done with it. Let’s see. _If_ you win, I return you both to your plane, with no obligations on either of you.”

Foggy nodded. “Return us to the same apartment in New York that we left, in the same state that we left, the same time as we left.” Foggy wasn’t sure if demons had time travel abilities. But then again he wasn’t sure they _didn’t_ and he didn’t want to end up on top of mount Everest fifty years ago with no legs or something like that.

Paimon’s smile froze, but stayed on his face. “Agreed. Do you find people underestimate you often Mr Nelson?”

Foggy didn’t trust himself to answer that so he didn’t. “What exactly does ‘worthy’ mean in this context?”

The light in Paimon’s eyes flared again. “Let’s say ‘worthy’ means you can prove your world is better with Matthew Murdock in it.”

“Agreed,” said Foggy.

“But Mr Nelson, what do _I_ get when I win?” said Paimon, the smirk spreading across his face like oil on water. “I already have Matthew, why should I risk it.”

Foggy hoped the shake he could feel in his limbs wasn’t visible. He had a good idea what Paimon wanted. “What do you want?” he asked, mercifully managing to keep his voice level.

“Don’t worry Mr Nelson, as… entertaining… as it would be I have decided don’t want you for a pet, not just yet anyway. How about if you lose, I obviously get to keep Matthew, and you go home. But, you owe me, hmmm, three favours? Yes, three. For me to collect whenever. Do we have a deal?”

Foggy let out a breath he’d been holding. “So, I prove to you that my world is a better place with Matt in it, and Matt and me we both go back to New York safe and sound. If I don’t, Matt stays with you and I owe you three favours.”

“Yes,” hissed Paimon, looking hungry, sitting forward slightly waiting for Foggy’s response.

“Agreed,” said Foggy. He let himself smile. He was going to win. He knew that now.

Paimon lent back into his throne. “Go on then, Mr Nelson. Prove to me the human world is better with Matthew as a part of it.”

“That’s not what you said,” said Foggy quietly.

Paimon hesitated. “What?”

_”While you’re in the circle,” explained Danny. “Anything either party agrees on is binding. You can’t change it later. So you have to be 100% sure you don’t promise anything you can’t deliver.”_

“You didn’t ask me to prove that the whole human world is better for Matt’s presence, just mine. My world,” said Foggy. “And it is. It’s clearly better.”

Paimon narrowed his eyes. “That is what I meant.”

“But it’s not what you _said_ ,” argued Foggy. “And it’s not what I agreed to. What we _both_ agreed to.”

“I’ll let you have that,” said Paimon, eyes flashing. “But is _your_ world better? Really? I can see how much pain Matthew has caused you. Pain and anger cloud up your mind when you think of him.”

“Just because something causes you pain doesn’t make it _bad_ or means that it doesn’t improve your life. After all ‘no pain, no gain’, right? Things that make you feel good can significantly damage your world. As any recovering drug addict would tell you,” countered Foggy. “Without Matt I would have stayed at L and Z, even though I knew it wasn’t a good place.”

“Would that have made your world worse, if you’d stayed?” argued Paimon. “It was better paid than ‘Nelson and Murdock’ certainly.”

“Until I ended up in jail,” agreed Foggy. “A company that corrupt would have slipped up sooner or later. But without Matt I might not have even got that far. He supported me through law school, through break-ups, through everything. If I am anything at all it’s because of him. You know I’m not lying about that.”

“Just because you believe a thing doesn’t make it true,” scowled Paimon. “Look at your life now. Before today you hadn’t even spoken to Matthew in over a month. Your world is just fine without him. You have a good job, a better apartment, friends, family…”

“And I’m miserable,” interrupted Foggy. “I know I am, even if I hadn’t quite admitted that to myself yet. I would have found a reason to see Matt again. I…” Foggy closed his eyes, these were the things he didn’t like to look at too closely. It was hard to drag them out into the light for a stranger to see. “Every single thing I experience, is better when Matt is there. I’m better when Matt is there.”

Paimon tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. He stared at Foggy and Foggy fought the urge to fidget. “If that is true, then why did you leave him?”

“He hurt me,” said Foggy with a shrug, trying not to dwell on it too much by the somewhat telepathic demon. “I’m human, we avoid things that hurt us, even if we shouldn’t. It’s why I have a gym membership I never use.”

 

Paimon smirked again. “I don’t believe your being _entirely_ honest there. But I guess you caught me on a good day. I’m willing to agree that Foggy Nelson’s world is better for having Matthew Murdock in it.” He winked at Foggy. “You win, Mr Nelson. Bravo!” The world around the circle started to fade back in, like a developing photo, and Paimon and his throne faded out at the same speed. “I’ll be sure to keep an eye on you, Foggy. Until we meet again.” said Paimon as he disappeared. Foggy couldn’t help the shiver that went through him.

Sound faded back in along with everything else. “…your fault,” shouted Matt at Stick. “You shouldn’t have brought Foggy here at all.”

Stick frowned. “It was you that said Foggy Nelson would be able to save you. Paimon agreed he could fight for you.”

“It was a trick!” said Matt. “Paimon tricked me into saying that. I would never put Foggy in that much danger.”

“Soft, Matty,” said Stick warning in his tone. “We can’t afford to be soft. I needed you back. Nelson wasn’t important.”

“Yes, he is,” hissed Matt, stabbing Stick in the chest with his finger. “He is to me.”

“Glad to hear it,” said Foggy. Matt turned towards the sound of his voice. 

“Foggy?” said Matt a little desperation bleeding into his tone. “Where are you I can’t…”

The rest of the world filtered into Foggy’s vision, and he could pinpoint the moment Matt could sense him properly again because of the relieved smile that appeared on his face. He reached out and held Foggy’s arm, pulling him out of the circle and into Matt’s arms. He buried his face into Foggy’s shoulder. Foggy let himself be held, it felt way too much like coming home.

“Well this is touching,” sniffed Stick. “But what did you have to promise to get out of there?”

Foggy gently pulled free of Matt to look at Stick, but Matt kept hold of Foggy’s wrist, fingers pressed up against Foggy’s pulse point. “Nothing,” said Foggy. “I won.”

Foggy had the pleasure of seeing Stick look surprised. “You. You beat one of the King’s of Hell?”

“Yep,” said Foggy popping the ‘p’ and grinning just to be an asshole.

“How?” asked Stick accusingly.

“You’ve never heard Foggy in a courtroom,” said Matt beaming in Stick’s general direction like a kid. It made Foggy’s heart do flips and he knew both men could hear that. Matt’s grin got wider and Stick’s frown got deeper. “What happened?” asked Matt.

“Sorry, client/attorney privilege,” said Foggy partly to make Matt chuckle and partly so he didn’t have to think about Paimon’s parting comment.

“I am your client, Nelson,” said Stick.

“Not anymore, Twig,” countered Foggy. He suddenly remembered the money Stick had given him. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some charitable donations to make in your name.”


End file.
